Brazil

Fascinating culture. And oh that language (Portuguese is the most beautiful language on earth - and Brazilian Portuguese is the best).

Brazil is more like a continent than a country. The differences you experience in nature, climate and people here are extreme.

In October 2004, I travelled around the South of Brazil for 4 weeks. Did the famous sights of course (Rio, Iguacu), but enjoyed mainly Minas Gerais with its historic towns.

List of world heritage sites in Brazil

Site name	Entered
Historic Town of Ouro Preto	1980
Historic Centre of the Town of Olinda	1982
Jesuit Missions of the Guaranis: San Ignacio Mini, Santa Ana, Nuestra Señora de Loreto and Santa Maria Mayor (Argentina), Ruins of Sao Miguel das Missoes (Brazil)	1984
Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Congonhas	1985
Historic Centre of Salvador de Bahia	1985
Iguacu National Park	1986
Brasilia	1987
Serra da Capivara National Park	1991
Historic Centre of São Luis	1997
Atlantic Forest Southeast Reserves	1999
Discovery Coast Atlantic Forest Reserves	1999
Historic Centre of the Town of Diamantina	1999
Pantanal Conservation Area	2000
Central Amazon Conservation Complex	2000
Cerrado Protected Areas: Chapada dos Veadeiros and Emas National Parks	2001
Brazilian Atlantic Islands: Fernando de Noronha and Atol das Rocas Reserves	2001
Historic Centre of the Town of Goiás	2001

Tentative list of Brazil

Anavilhanas Ecological Station

Canyon du Rio Peruaçu, Minas Gerais

Cavernas do Peruaçu Federal

Eglise et Monastère de Sao Bento, Rio de Janeiro

Ensemble architectonique de tourisme et loisir au bord du lac de Pampulha

Gold Route in Parati and its landscape

Les Couvents Franciscains du Nord-Est Brésilien

Palais de la Culture, ancien siège du Ministère de l Education et de la Santé, Rio de Janeiro

Parc National de la Serra da Bocaina (São Paulo - Rio de Janeiro)

Parc National du Pico da Neblina (Amazonas)

Reserve biologique de Atol das Rocas (Rio Grande do Norte)

Rio de Janeiro Cultural Landscape

Serra da Canastra National Park

Serra da Capivara National Park and Permanent Preservation Areas

Serra do Divisor National Park

Station écologique de Taim (Rio Grande do Sul)

Station écologique du Raso da Catarina (Bahia)

Visits

Natural Brazil

October 2004
After a short stop in its capital Brasilia, I flew to the west of Brazil. The Pantanal was my main goal here: a not-so-wetland at the moment, but still with plenty of wildlife. The Jabiru stork (or Tuiuiu) here is wonderful.
The Brazilian and Argentine sides of the Iguacu Falls concluded my trip.

Colonial Brazil

October 2004
The first week of my trip to southern Brazil I spent in the state of Minas Gerais. There some fine remains can be found of the wealth this area generated during the 17th, 18th and 19th century. Ouro Preto is probably the best example of this, but Diamantina and Congonhas are must-see destinations too. You cannot leave Brazil without having seen some of the masterpieces of the sculptor Aleijadinho.